禁きん闕けつ

Meanings

Archaic or literary term for the imperial palace or its gate. Not used in modern everyday Japanese; encountered mainly in historical texts or classical literature.

古ふるい文ぶん献けんには「禁きん闕けつ」という言こと葉ばで皇こう居きょを指さすことがある。
In old documents, the word 禁闕 sometimes refers to the imperial palace.

Kanji

禁prohibition, ban, forbid
闕lack, gap, fail
金gold

Related words

皇こう居きょ
Modern standard term for the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. 禁闕 is an archaic synonym not used in contemporary speech.
宮きゅう殿でん
General word for 'palace'. 禁闕 specifically refers to the imperial palace in a classical context.

Written forms

禁きん闕けつUsage100%
Rare kanji spelling for 'imperial palace' or 'palace gate'. The second character 闕 is uncommon in modern Japanese.
金きん闕けつ
Alternate rare spelling using 金 (gold/metal) instead of 禁 (forbidden). Both are historical and not in common use.

Etymology

The exact derivation is uncertain. The spelling 禁闕 combines 禁 (forbidden) and 闕 (gate/watchtower), suggesting a guarded palace gate. The variant 金闕 uses 金 (gold/metal), possibly implying a magnificent gate. Both are historical and not used in modern Japanese.